In early May 2006, a young British climber named David Sharp lay dying near the top of Mount Everest while forty other climbers walked past him on their way to the summit. A week later, Lincoln Hall, a seasoned Australian climber, was left for dead near the same spot. Hall's death was reported around the world, but the next day he was found alive after spending the night on the upper mountain with no food and no shelter. If David Sharp's death was shocking, it was not singular: despite unusually good weather, ten others died attempting to reach the summit that year. In this meticulous inquiry into what went wrong, Nick Heil tells the full story of the deadliest year on Everest since the infamous season of 1996. He introduces Russell Brice, the outfitter who has done more than anyone to provide access to the summit via the mountain's north side—and who some believe was partially responsible for Sharp's death. As more climbers attempt the summit each year, Heil shows how increasingly risky expeditions and unscrupulous outfitters threaten to turn Everest into a deadly circus. Written by an experienced climber and outdoor writer, Dark Summit is both a riveting account of a notorious climbing season and a troubling investigation into whether the pursuit of the ultimate mountaineering prize has spiralled out of control.
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"Lots of facts given to decide where to lay blame for a deadly season on Everest. Or....should we lay blame at all? I come to a different conclusion everytime I think about it. Kudos to the author for letting the reader make those decisions. I love a good, true, intense read!!! " — Diane (4 out of 5 stars)
"Lots of facts given to decide where to lay blame for a deadly season on Everest. Or....should we lay blame at all? I come to a different conclusion everytime I think about it. Kudos to the author for letting the reader make those decisions. I love a good, true, intense read!!! "
Here is humanity itself, personified in exemplary fashion by Nick Heil, addressing the Everest culture's lack of compassion and coming up with the right answers.
Through rock-solid reporting and vital prose, Heil leads us up into this rarefied world, step by hypoxic step.”
“Enthralling from start to finish, Heil has created a timely, thought-provoking story that will thrill adrenaline junkies and armchair adventurers.”
“Drummond stresses the ironies and dramatic moments in Heil’s work…[His] voice work humanizes the key figures.”
“Here is humanity itself, personified in exemplary fashion by Nick Heil, addressing the Everest culture’s lack of compassion and coming up with the right answers.”
" Fascinating. Obviously we can never know for absolute certain what transpired in 2006, but this book does a great job of presenting all the differing accounts. The book is like 80% history and 20% 2006 season, but that didn't bother me at all. Very interesting and well-written. "
" Very good book, re introducing me to the life, dangers, thrill, of Mountain climbing, well written it brought me back to this type of books encouraging me to read more of them immediately. "
" Well told and thoroughly researched account of the 2006 season on Everest, particularly regarding the David Sharpe scandal. A great read! "
" Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air sets the standard for reportage on Everest, but Heil's book, which documents the 2nd deadliest season on the mountain, is a close second. "
" If you liked Into Thin Air, you'll like this one too. "
" A good survival book that explores the catastrophic 2006 season on Everest with what seems to be fair and balanced reporting. He uses great detail on the people and on climbing and does a good job of discussing the ethics of climbing in extreme circumstances. "
" Brilliant and clear headed analysis of the commercialisation of Everest as well as the base human emotions involved in choosing to climb it. "
Nick Heil first wrote about the 2006 climbing season for Men’s Journal. Now a freelance journalist based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he was a senior editor at Outside from 1999 to 2006. He has also worked as a climbing and skiing instructor and has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia, and North America.
David Drummond has made his living as an actor for over twenty-five years, appearing on stages large and small throughout the country and in Seattle, Washington, his hometown. He has narrated over thirty audiobooks, in genres ranging from current political commentary to historical nonfiction, fantasy, military, thrillers, and humor. He received an AudioFile Earphones Award for his first audiobook, Love ’Em or Lose ’Em: Getting Good People to Stay. When not narrating, he keeps busy writing plays and stories for children.
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